Throughout America’s war on terrorism, many have questioned whether or not the federal government is beginning to step on people’s civil liberties.

Issues ranging from military tribunals to high-tech cameras at large public meeting places have all come under fire by both liberals and conservatives. But in one case it isn’t the federal government that is being criticized – it’s a librarian.

Kathleen Hensman was a librarian in Delray Beach, Fla. That is until she was fired for violating a “confidentiality” law, which is supposed to protect the privacy of those who use the library.

Hensman did her part in helping the country and now she is being ridiculed for it by fellow librarians.

Hensman was watching the news one evening in the middle of September when she saw a picture of the hijackers of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center. She noticed that three of the men had been using computers in the library she worked at.

She then did what most would – she contacted the FBI and alerted them that the men had been using the library’s computers.

Doesn’t sound like much, just a commendable act.

Wrong. The American Library Association is flipping out claiming Hensman acted very unethical when she reported the information to the FBI.

Users of libraries have a right to privacy, which requires law enforcement officials to obtain a court order when receiving specific information about a person who used equipment in the library or checked out a book.

The union is saying it is not the job of a librarian to help law enforcement officials when it involves a violation of privacy.

And I agree. It is not the job of a librarian to help ensure the safety of Americans. Rather, it is the duty of any American.

But some librarians don’t see it that way.

Tuesday night, Mary Dempsey, administrator of the Chicago public library, was a guest on Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor.” Dempsey said Hensman was in the wrong when she made the call the FBI.

In fact, she said she would not contact the appropriate officials if she knew the highjackers were in her Chicago library.

She said Hensman did not respect confidentiality laws because she reported the specific names of the terrorists.

There is one thing very ironic about this confidentiality thing. Hensman got the names off of a sign-in sheet. If privacy is such a big deal at public libraries, why are people required to sign in before using a computer?

It seems that if some one really did have their privacy violated, it wasn’t Hensman who was responsible. It was the library itself for requiring people to reveal their name before using equipment.

And should people really have a right to privacy in a public library? The key word here is “public.” It is not your home, it is not private property, it is a government-funded public place. That should be fair game.

But all that is besides the point. All Hensman did was contact the FBI and told them three guys were in her library using computers. She never said what they were doing on the computers.

How else is the FBI supposed to get permission to find out what these men were doing in the library if the bureau didn’t even know they were there?

Hensman did exactly what the FBI and the Justice Department has asked every American to do – report information concerning the attacks. The question shouldn’t be if she was in the right or wrong, or if she should lose her job, but rather how much her reward will be.

Zach Calef is a sophomore in journalism and mass communication from Cedar Rapids. He is an assistant news editor of the Daily.